


Sugar

by Aramirandme81



Series: One Word Elaborations And One Shots [2]
Category: The Almighty Johnsons
Genre: Dysfunctional Family, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-05
Updated: 2013-11-05
Packaged: 2017-12-31 14:13:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,433
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1032632
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aramirandme81/pseuds/Aramirandme81
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Another Elaboration work. <br/>This time on the line Sugar: Val persuades Mike that they don’t have the money to send Anders on the school trip to Sydney, not that he was hard to persuade since he doesn’t like them being anywhere he can’t keep an eye on then. Anders takes his revenge by absolutely stuffing Axl and Zeb with anything with sugar in it and then taking off to spend the weekend with a friend.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sugar

“But… But I worked my ass off for months to get the money to spend over there.” Anders says shocked at this sudden turn of events.

“I know Anders but we just don’t have the money for the trip. And you can use the money you saved for something else.” Mike says trying to soothe the hurt he can see in Anders eyes.

“I don’t want anything else! I’ve been looking forward to this trip for almost a year and you do this to me now?!?”

“Anders your brother told you, we don’t have the money to spend on such things.” Val said from where she was putting away the dishes. 

“’Such things? It’s only the one thing everyone in school is excited about.”

“Anders, you wanting to be popular does not give us more money.” Mike says.

“Popular? Mike I don’t give a rats ass about being popular. I just don’t want to be the bottom of the food chain again. Do you have any idea how hard it is being the youngest person in your class by almost two years?!? I finally, finally made it into the social circle of my class and now you want to exclude me from it again?”

Mike could feel doubt creeping in. It was true Anders had faced quite a challenge skipping a class ahead and starting in a whole new school, Anders for all his self-proclaimed independence was a very social person and it had been hard on him having to be on the outside. Maybe…

Val could see Mike wavering in his resolve so she was quick to jump in.

“Look Anders you’ll just have to face the facts we don’t have the money, end of story.”

“But… what if I use my savings? I’ll use what I earned for spending money to help pay for the trip?” Anders pleaded.

“Then how will you eat over there?” Mike asked.

“Breakfast is included in the stay. I’ll fill up and deal, it would hardly be the first time I’ve gotten on with one meal a day. I can do it again.”

“At the expense of your health? I don’t think so.” Val said and crossed her arms.

“Since when do you care?” Anders asked.

“Anders! That’s enough.” Mike warned.

“No Mike, she doesn’t give a shit about my health, she’s only afraid it will damage her position among the teachers when they discover the reason I can’t buy dinner is that I used all my money to go on the trip.” Anders bit out. If Mike had looked at Val at that moment he would have seen the truth of Anders statement in her blush and downcast eyes, but of course he didn’t and Val could do no wrong in his eyes.

“Anders I know you are upset but that is no excuse to accuse Val of such things. Now you are not going and that’s final, and unless you want to be grounded on top of this you will shut up about it and go to your room.” Mike said eyes sparking, though not nearly as much as his little brothers.

“I’m not Axl Mike, you can’t just send me to my room every time you feel like it and expect me to forgive you.”

Mike started rising from his chair to give his brother a piece of his mind.

“And you’re not dad either Mike, if you hit me I’ll report you.” Anders said defiance warring with fear in his voice.

“Yes I’m sure you’d love being in foster care. Just go to the room Anders.” Val sighed.

Anders glowered at them both but did go towards his room, just before he entered he turned around though.

“You know maybe foster care would be preferable, they might not give a fig about you either but at least they don’t try to pretend otherwise and the foster kids I go to school with, they actually get to go on all the school trips.” Then he entered his room and slammed the door.

 

Mike sighed as the tunes of Anders current band of choice started blasting out the door.

“Maybe we could find the money…” He started.

“No Mike, if we give in now he’ll never learn. That kid needs a firm hand, now I’m going to buy groceries I’ll be back later.” Val said and kissed Mike on the cheek. 

Mike just stared after her, then got up to go do some more work on a project he’d gotten behind on and under his breath mumbled: “He’s had a firm hand, four of them, that’s what ruined him.”

 

Anders was not one to just take defeat though. If he had to suffer, so did the ones that he saw as the cause of his suffering.

When he hears Axl ask Mike if he and Zeb can go buy candy for the money Zeb’s mum gave them he has an idea.

Mike is just telling Axl that he can’t go just yet when Anders comes out from his room.

“I’ll take them.”

“What?”

“I’ll take them. I have to buy crisps for my sleepover at Allan’s.” Anders said, then with a harder voice added. “Or aren’t I allowed to do that either?”

“Anders, don’t push it. But yeah fine you can go with Anders.” He told the two bright-eyed kids.

“Yayh!!” Axl yelled and Zeb joined in.

“Oi squirts, my rules or you don’t go on this candy liberating mission.” Anders said, and Axl immediately shuts up and straightens up.

“Sir yes sir!” And throws of a salute, Zeb again mimicking.

“Good, now come on troops get your coats and shoos on, we’ll discuss strategy on the way.” 

Anders sends the kids of and they quickly obey.

 

Turns out the strategy is quite straightforward: If they see anything they’d like they bring it to where Anders is and once he’s read the contents and cheeked the prize they either have to take it back or he adds it to the basket with it’s steadily growing pile of sugary stuff.

When they finally head towards the cash register Axl looks at the pile with worry.

“Anders?”

“Yes recruit?”

“I don’t think we have enough money.”

“Don’t worry sport, I’ll pay for the rest.”

“Really?” Axl says eyes alight with wonder.

“Sure, and heck why don’t we get an ice-cream for the way home?”

“Yayh!!” Both children exclaim.

“Just don’t tell Val or Mike okay?”

Both kids makes little x’es over their hearts.

“Good, now to the war soldiers we have sugar to defeat.”

 

He encourages them to eat as much of the candy as they want to on the way home, after all they have so much. Once they make it home he sends the kids to Axl’s room with most of their candy tugged away and hidden, as he hands over the rest to Mike. Because house rule’s says they aren’t allowed all the candy at once and almost none before dinner.

Once that is done Anders hurries into the room he shares with Ty.

“Got you something.” He says and hands Ty the huge triple chocolate cake that’s Ty’s favorite, even if it sends him into a near coma once he’s finished one.

“Thanks, but why?” Ty asks.

“Well I treated Axl so it’s only fair I treat you. And you might want to eat that as soon as possible because you won’t want to be awake tonight.” Anders smirks and winks at Ty.

“What did you do?”

“You Don’t want to know. Just trust me on that and eat your cake.”

“You mean eat my ‘plausible deniability’?”

“Or ‘chocolate alibi’ if you prefer.” Anders agrees as he picks up his bag. “Well I’m off, Allan has promised me save haven for the weekend, oh and if I were you I’d lock the door once I went to bed.” And with that Anders is out the door.

 

“I’m off to Allan’s!” He yells and dashes out before anyone can interject. Not that he think anyone will, because hey he’s leaving good times for all.

 

An hour later the sugar kicks in with a vengeance.

Leaving Val and Mike with two very hyper kids and one smiling near comatosed Ty

As the sound of yet another thing smashing mingels with wild childish giggles and furniture creaking as it’s used for climbing and jumping a shout can be heard all along the street: “Anders!!!”

And somewhere out in the countryside a young teen is smiling a bitter smile as he and his friend roll out their sleeping bags and set up camp. 

‘Sweet’ vengeance indeed.


End file.
